Graduates strive towards reducing joblessness

Windhoek-Graduates are optimistic about creating employment and are striving towards doing better to reduce the unemployment among young people in the country.

Salome Kandjala, who graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Economics and Business Studies at the University of Namibia (Unam) last week, says her journey to success did not end last week when she graduated. “I’m aiming high and would like to further my studies to obtain a masters with the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, while working at the same time,” says Kandjala.

An entrepreneurship teacher, Kandjala intends starting a business and with it employ Namibian youth who are currently unemployed. “The best way to combat unemployment is to encourage youth to start their own business. Entrepreneurship is the solution,” she says. Kandjala was lucky to get a job before graduation, teaching entrepreneurship to Grade 8-10 learners at Mureti High School in Opuwo, Kunene Region. “The teaching market is not flooded at all, and I advise all young people to be proud and study education so that we can have more qualified teachers in Namibia,” she says.

Kaino Matheus, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Tourism Management, says she was lucky to find a job in her profession before graduation. “I will continue working. I want to work on my experience first,” says Matheus, adding that the only way to tackle unemployment among young people is for them to work on their experiences. “You can only get a job if you have enough years of experience. Internships and job attachment are needed even if you are earning peanuts or nothing,” says Matheus.

She adds that the tourism sector in the country has opportunities, but it only depends on how experienced one is. “If you are interested to work out of your home town, moving to remote areas, it’s quite challenging. The tourism sector is not flooded – you only need to make a decision to go out of your comfort zone,” says Matheus. Some unemployed youth on the streets believe that the issue of unemployed youth in the country is caused by laziness, and lack of resources. Teofilus Mwashekele who graduated from the Valombola Vocation Training Center in Auto Mechanics last year says he is still finding it difficult to find a job.

Mwashekela believes that if the government can register all the unemployed graduates, and offer them job opportunities in different sectors, Namibia will be a better country, and the youth will have a bright future. In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Wednesday, President Hage Geingob said the government is acutely aware of the plight of out-of-school youth, students, job-seeking graduates and entrepreneurial start-ups. “To facilitate job creation for young people, the promotion of relevant skills through quality vocational education and training remains a priority,” says he. Albeit the president said vocational enrollment has increased from 28,571 in 2017 to 32,120 by the end of this March. This is ahead of the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP)’s target of 18,000 enrolments a year.